The Kansas State University Helwig Farms Quarter-Scale Tractor Team came home with two top finishes at the 21st annual American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers' International Quarter-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition.

The team competed in Peoria, Ill., against 28 teams from universities in the U.S., Canada and Israel. Kansas State University's A team took second place overall and its X team first overall. This is the 19th time in the last 21 years that one of the university's
teams has won or placed in the top three at the event.

"The students continue to build upon the tradition of excellence," said Joe Harner, head of the biological and agricultural engineering department. "Year after year, our students come through and place in the top spots of this international competition. The success
is a combined effort of our programs, the team advisors and, of course, our students."

A panel of industry experts judge each design for innovation, manufacturability, serviceability, maneuverability, safety, sound level and ergonomics. Teams submit a written design report in advance of the competition, and on-site must sell their design in a formal
presentation to the panel. Finally, machines are put to the test in three performance events: three tractor pulls, a maneuverability course and a durability course.

The A team -- juniors and seniors -- averaged fourth in pulls and took second overall. The X team -- freshmen and sophomores -- took first in the oral presentation and first overall.